I love my crockpots. Let me say that one more time for emphasis. I LOVE my crockpots.
Not only are they very convenient, but they are a great way to save money in the kitchen. Notice I said “they.” Yes, I have two crockpots, and I use them both on a regular basis.
There are three main ways a crockpot will save you money and help you bring frugal but hearty meals to your table.
1. The first way your crockpot saves money is by using less energy that traditional cooking methods, such as an oven. The low steady heat cooks your food well, but without the large amounts of gas or electricity that is used by your kitchen oven. Its smaller size also focuses the heat, so you aren’t wasting a thing. Modern crockpots usually have timer shut offs or keep warm functions on them, so you you won’t waste extra cook time, even if you can’t get to the crockpot when you anticipated. While it is true a microwave may use less energy than a crockpot, for the most part you can’t use it to make meals from scratch, and those convenience foods are pretty expensive.
2. The second way your crockpot saves you money is by making it easier to cook from scratch. Cooking from scratch is a great way to save money in the kitchen. Eating out is a huge budget breaker. For the price of one modest meal out, I can feed my family for a week. All of those frozen and convenience foods can add up as well. With a crockpot, you can throw a bunch of ingredients in the crock, set it and walk away. Your meal will be ready when you need it, despite your busy schedule. Homeschoolers love the crockpot for just this reason.
3. The third way your crockpot saves you money is by allowing you to use cheaper ingredients and still get a great meal. Slow cooking in a crockpot will completely tenderize your meat, for example, so you can choose tougher (and less expensive) cuts of meat than you would have to use in traditional stove or oven cooking. Why open an expensive can or jar of of baked beans? Throw the raw beans, spices and other ingredients in the crockpot and let it do the work for a fraction of the cost.
Have you used a crockpot today?
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